IPL 2020: RCB to opt for personalised training approach

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], Aug 26 : As Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) get ready to start their three-week camp at the ICC Cricket Academy, the franchise's think tank has revealed that they would be opting for a personalised training approach this season.
The IPL 2020 will be played in UAE from September 19-November 10 in the UAE and it will be held across three venues -- Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah.
RCB's Director of Cricket Mike Hesson and head coach Simon Katich will kick-off the training and preparations for RCB ahead of the 13th season of IPL within the bio-secure environment from August 27 once the team is out of quarantine.
"Players have spent the last few months in a variety of environments and are therefore in different stages of fitness and training, and hence a singular training approach is not the best route to start getting ready for the season," Mike Hesson said in an official release issued by RCB.
"Our support staff team will continue working in a way that is flexible and offers personalised support. We have a highly-skilled support staff team to nurture the players mentally, physically, and emotionally to assist each player's preparation so they are ready to play their best cricket," he added.
RCB will start off a three-week camp at the ICC Cricket Academy and the players will undergo strenuous training and practice to gradually build up into the demands of playing in the extreme heat in UAE.
"Our preparations have revolved around giving the players at least three weeks to get back into the routine of training their skills and getting their bodies ready for the competition so they can build up gradually and try to minimise any injuries. We have several split- group sessions planned initially to help give the batsmen plenty of time getting volume in after such a long layoff," Katich said.
"It also ties into helping mitigate any risks with COVID by not having the full squad training all at once either. Once everyone has got their touch and rhythm back with bat and ball, we will move into more competitive training before the scheduled practice matches and the start of the tournament," he added.
All eight IPL franchises have reached UAE for taking part in the upcoming tournament as per the Standard Operating Procedures (SoPs). The BCCI has already told the franchises that the players have to undergo a mandatory seven-day quarantine period after arriving in the UAE.
As per SOPs issued by the BCCI, the players have to undergo RT-PCR tests on Day 1, 3, and 6 of the quarantine phase and then they will be entering the bio-bubble provided they test negative on all three occasions.
The final match of the 2020 edition is scheduled to be played on a weekday, i.e. Tuesday, for the first time in the history of the T20 tournament.
This time, both the afternoon and evening matches will be played half-an-hour earlier than usual.